What you may have missed: Updates from Monday

Nov. 12, 2012

A boat sits on the deck of the Morgan Drawbridge, after the storm surge of Hurricane Sandy. / Photo courtesy of NJ Transit

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is joined by Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno at the FEMA Joint Field Office in Lincroft, NJ, Monday during a news conference where he updated the Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. / THOMAS P. COSTELLO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

4:45 p.m. NJ Transit could resume Coast Line service next week

Service on the storm-battered North Jersey Coast Line could resume sometime next week between Long Branch and New York, said NJ Transit’s executive director.

Several key pieces of ongoing infrastructure repair work need to be completed first, the biggest being repair of the Raritan Bay draw bridge, said James Weinstein, executive director.

“The critical path to restore service between Long Branch and New York is the river bridge, the challenge is the tidal surge shifted the bridge on its piers,” Weinstein said. “Based on damage assessment by our people and experts, we should be in a good position to start talking about resumption if service by next week.”

The big “if” is repairing that bridge, which was under water and hit by two tugboats during superstorm Sandy. Those tracks have to be realigned and salt water had to be pumped out of the pumpers and electrical systems which allow the bridge to open and close, he said. Outside contractors and experts have been working with NJ Transit on the bridge, he said.

“We first thought the damage was far worse, but it is an old bridge,” Weinstein said. “If we can fix that bridge and make it safe by end of the weekend, we could see a limited restart of the Coast Line next week.”

2:45 p.m. Local schools get matched up with donors

The New Jersey School Boards Association is in the process of matching up potential donors with school districts in need of help following superstorm Sandy.

For example, The Furniture Trust in Boston is donating desks and equipment to the Beach Haven and Eagleswood school districts, and the Upper Dublin public school district in Montgomery County, Pa., is donating school supplies to Eagleswood and Beach Haven. Eagleswood is hosting Beach Haven students following the damage done to Long Beach Island.

Other examples of donations include a book drive for Monmouth Beach schools run by Park Street School in Boston, the Hillside School in Bergen County adopting the Red Bank school district and public schools in Hillsborough and Verona helping Union Beach schools.

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The association has heard from about 40 potential donors so far. It has set up a Hurricane Help Hotline at 1-888-88NJSBA, Ext. 5209, for school districts, companies and organizations that wish to donate equipment and supplies to schools severely affected by the storm. Schools in need of help should also call that number.

The association has also established a Hurricane Relief webpage with information related to the storm’s impact on public schools. The webpage includes information items on school districts’ responsibility to provide 180 instructional days and statutory guidelines concerning contributions by public school districts.

1:55 p.m. Christie: Fort Monmouth will be used for housing

Fort Monmouth will be used to house families displaced by superstorm Sandy, possibly as early as this week, Gov. Chris Christie said at a news briefing this morning in Middletown.

Work is underway to turn on utilities at Fort Monmouth, Christie said. The vacant facility has the capacity to house between 400 and 600 displaced families, he said.

The governor reported the state is returning to normal after Sandy wreaked havoc two weeks ago. Only about 1,000 utility customers in the state are without power, down from 2.6 million immediately after the storm, and most schools, except for some in the most severely affected areas, have reopened or will be opening soon, he said.

1:28 p.m. Brick residents can return to barrier island again on Friday

Brick officials have announced that the next phase of visits to the barrier island will begin Friday. Homeowners will be given two days to have their house winterized, perform mold remediation or any other minor projects to get their homes ready for the winter. Homeowners may bring a contractor and one helper to their home. In addition to the contractor and helper, two people per household will be permitted access.

Bus transportation will be provided for all homeowners and no personal vehicles will be permitted on the island.

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Residents must contact the township via e-mail with their name, address, contractor’s name and company name, the work to be performed and an estimate of how long it will take to complete the project. Residents must also say if they will be present when the work is being completed. The e-mail with this information should be sent to the township at barrierisland@twp.brick.nj.us at least one day before the scheduled visit.

Contractors will be escorted to the specified area for that day by police. They will be permitted to drive in with their equipment in one vehicle. Contractors will also need to check in at the VFW, 373 Adamston Road. Brick, beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Contractors and homeowners must have proper ID which will be held during their visit and returned when they leave the island.

Buses for residents will leave from the VFW at 8 a.m. and run continuously until 4 p.m.

All work must end by 4 p.m. contractors will be escorted off the island together.

Dumpsters will be placed in the neighborhoods for debris and portable toilets will be provided.

Contractors and residents will remain at their respective properties and will not be permitted outside of the neighborhood.

Residents should urge their contractors to bring all necessary equipment in one trip as they will not be permitted to leave the neighborhood until the projects are complete or they are done for the day. All contractors will be escorted off the island together.

Contractors who are found wandering outside the neighborhood or in any other area deemed inappropriate will be escorted from the island and not permitted to return.

Contractors and residents will not be permitted access into homes which have been condemned or deemed unsafe.

12:50 p.m. update: Gas rationing to end Tuesday morning

Gov. Chris Christie says gas supplies are plentiful and there are no more lines of motorists waiting for fuel.

Christie had imposed the rationing Nov. 3 because some gas stations couldn’t get fuel while others didn’t have electricity to pump it as a result of Superstorm Sandy.

Rationing was put in effect in 12 counties in central and northern New Jersey.

The governor notes New Jersey was first to impose rationing and that others followed the state’s lead. New York did not impose rationing until Friday, six days after New Jersey.

11:30 a.m. Utility reintroducing natural gas to LBI

New Jersey Natural Gas has made progress in restoring gas service to some towns while finishing initial assessments in others.

On Monday, New Jersey Natural Gas is reintroducing natural gas into the second section of its main on Long Beach Island in parts of Ship Bottom and Brant Beach. The utility expects to move onto the third section Tuesday, from Sherwood Way to James Street.

Meter rebuilds began in the section where natural gas has been reintroduced also began Monday. Once a meter has been re-established and you see a tag on the customer gas valve just past your meter, your home’s natural gas service may be turned on by a qualified technician, but only after electricity has been restored, you have safely returned to your home, and your qualified technician has determined that your natural gas equipment is safe to operate.

On Sunday, the Wall-based utility reintroduced natural gas into its Sea Bright main and completed 66 meter rebuilds, making natural gas available to the customer at the valves. In Manasquan, the utility has completed 67 percent of its service assessments and has been replacing portions of its damaged facilities.

In the coastal region of Monmouth County, New Jerse4y Natural Gas has completed 89 percent of its initial service assessments. In the Bayshore region, the utility has completed 87 percent of its initial service assessments.

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From Bay Head to Seaside in Ocean County, New Jersey Natural Gas has completed the initial assessment of all of its 116 miles of main pipe, as well as nearly 17,000 initial service assessments. Extensive damage will require substantial infrastructure repair and replacement. The utility is finalizing its re-pressurization plan for this portion of the system, which includes segmentation.

The utility has also started looking at the replacement of main that was damaged near the Mantoloking Bridge, but access remains an issue.

On the Ocean County mainland, New Jersey Natural Gas has completed 27,600 service assessments. The utility says 1,850 meters are ready for natural gas restoration, and 604 meters have been turned back on.

Scheduling, details and updates on our LBI restoration work are available at www.njng.com.

If you smell an odor of natural gas, leave the building immediately. Do not light matches, touch electrical switches or appliances, or use your telephone. From a safe location, customers should notify us of all gas leaks immediately at 1-800-GAS-LEAK.

10:20 a.m. JCP&L urges customers to report power outages

Jersey Central Power & Light says it is returning to normal operations after two weeks of restoration efforts for superstorm Sandy and the nor’easter. The utility says it has restored power to 99 percent of those customers who lost it.

Any customers not located on the barrier islands or in the shore area who remain without power should call 888-LIGHTSS (888-544-4877) to report their outage.

Service cannot yet be restored to about 30,000 customers on the barrier islands and in shoreline communities because of massive infrastructure damage in that area, the company said in the news release issued Sunday.

As the company identifies homes where service cannot be restored, it is blocking further collection and billing for those accounts, according to a statement posted on its website.

Traffic is heavy but moving on Route 37 this morning as Toms River and Berkeley police allow access for homeowners on Pelican Island and for full-time residents of Chadwick Beach, Chadwick Beach Island and Silver Beach from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

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The time window is designed to allow residents to retrieve belongings, secure their homes and winterize water systems, and go over damage with their contractors, Toms River officials say. There will be an opening for full-time residents of the Normandy Beach and Shores sections on Tuesday, township officials say, also from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Residents need to bring identification to get through police checkpoints, which have been moved farther along Route 37 and Route 35 to reduce traffic wait times. While access is being restored on Route 35 in Ortley Beach – one of the most heavily damaged sections of the coast – the area is still restricted, police say.

Information for the coming phases of return, including times for summer residents, will be posted on the Toms River Township website. Police and township officials say their telephone lines and emails are being inundated and they are asking the public to consult the website for information.

10 a.m. Supply distribution sites closed in Hazlet, Oceanport

The supply distribution sites set up in Hazlet and Oceanport after superstorm Sandy have been closed.

The distribution sites set up at Holy Family Church on Route 36 in Hazlet and Monmouth Park on Oceanport Avenue in Oceanport closed at 5 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release from Monmouth County. A third site, at the Circle Factory Outlet in Wall, closed Friday.

“The distribution sites have served our residents well over the past 11 days,” Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said in a prepared statement. “We thank our partners and the volunteers who helped our residents through some difficult days.”

The county will continue to supply items directly to towns and non-profit agencies.

The donation center at Thompson Park in the Lincroft section of Middletown remains open, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Local officials have said residents will be allowed to visit their homes between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. to retrieve their belongings and inspect damage.

7:55 a.m. Power restored to 99 percent of JCP&L customers

About 95 Jersey Central Power & Light customers in Asbury Park, 50 in Middletown and a handful of others in various Monmouth and Ocean county communities are without power this morning, according to the JCP&L website.

As of Sunday, service had been restored to 99 percent of customers who lost power during Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter, according to a news release from the company. More than 1.3 million outages were caused by those storms.

But service cannot be restored to about 30,000 customers on the barrier islands and in shoreline communities because of massive infrastructure damage in that area, the company said in the news release issued Sunday.

As the company identifies homes where service cannot be restored, it is blocking further collection and billing for those accounts, according to a statement posted on its website.

7:10 a.m. New Disaster Recovery Center opens in Monmouth County

New Jersey residents who were affected by Hurricane Sandy can now visit six newly-opened Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) if they have questions about recovery programs. To serve the needs of those impacted by Hurricane Sandy, all centers are open until further notice including Veteran’s Day.

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Before going to a DRC, it is helpful to register with FEMA. Apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.

DRCs are set up for residents to be able to speak one-on-one to recovery representatives, but it is not necessary to visit a center to receive disaster assistance.

FEMA program specialists are available to provide registration and other information, and to answer questions at the centers. These include mitigation specialists who can provide guidance on cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to reduce property damage in future disasters.

In addition to FEMA program specialists, customer service representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to answer questions about the SBA low-interest disaster loan program, and to assist with disaster loan applications.

An applicant may go to any DRC, even if it is located in another state. Once an application has been made, a FEMA registration number is given to the file. It can be accessed nationally.

6:20 a.m. Seaside Heights to let residents drive into town

Seaside Heights residents and property owners can drive into town for the first time since superstorm Sandy walloped the resort town.

Mayor Bill Akers says the town will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for residents to assess damage and retrieve property.

The traffic lights aren’t working and many street signs are missing.

Motorists will face arrest if they attempt to enter Ortley Beach or Seaside Park.

6:10 a.m. 3 ships returning to Va., supported storm relief

Three Virginia-based Navy ships that supported storm relief efforts in New York and New Jersey are coming home.The Navy says the amphibious ships USS Wasp and USS San Antonio are scheduled to return to Naval Station Norfolk on Monday. The USS Carter Hall is scheduled to return Monday to Joint Expeditionary Base Little-Creek -Fort Story in Virginia Beach.

Sailors and Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit helped with the repair of the Hoboken Ferry Terminal and the Sandy Hook Coast Guard Station. They also assisted emergency clearance and restoration efforts in Staten Island, N.Y., and New Jersey’s Barrier Islands.

The U.S. Coast Guard used the ships as a landing platform for search and rescue operations.

6:05 a.m. NJ Transit offering more limited rail service

New Jersey Transit is offering more limited service on the rails two weeks after Superstorm Sandy damaged tracks, signals and overhead wires.

The Morris & Essex lines, including Midtown Direct, Bergen and Port Jervis are operating. However, service remains suspended along the Gladstone Branch and Montclair-Boonton Lines.

Limited service also continues on the Northeast Corridor.

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Trains into New York City remain extremely limited.

NJ Transit is encouraging rail passengers to continue to use buses and ferries.

PATH, meanwhile, is operating limited service between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. from Newark to 33rd Street in Manhattan.

5:50 a.m. NJ's utilities restore power to most

New Jersey’s utilities have restored electricity to nearly all their customers who lost service during Sandy and the nor’easter.

Restoration work continues for 6,197 homes and businesses statewide Monday.

Public Service Electric & Gas is reporting 278 outages, mainly in Union, Middlesex and Somerset counties. Most were victims of high winds along the Watchung Mountains.

Jersey Central Power & Light has 3,470 customers waiting for service. The majority are in Morris County. JCP&L says about 30,000 customers on the barrier islands and along the Jersey shore can’t be restored due to major damage.